Riegele Brauerei in Augsburg: What to See and How a Visit Works
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Riegele is a working family brewery on Frölichstraße in Augsburg's inner city, with roots that reach back to 1386. You can visit it three ways: a guided tour of the historic brewhouse, a full-day brewing course where you make your own beer, or a meal and a beer at the Riegele Wirtshaus and beer garden. This guide covers what to see, what to taste and how to plan the visit, and the Augsburg Attractions: 5 Visitor Guides page helps you slot the brewery into a wider day.
What Riegele is: an Augsburg family brewery tracing its site to 1386
The brewery's story starts with the Zum Goldenen Roß brewery, which traces back to 1386, and it was acquired in 1884 by Sebastian Riegele Sr. The family has run it ever since, and the operation is now styled as Brauhaus S. Riegele, a family-owned brewery. The site is old enough that the brewery counts among the oldest in the world.
Today Riegele runs a portfolio of 14 mostly regional traditional beers alongside its craft beer lines, which include ten brewing specialties, the seasonal Riegele Michaeli and the vintage Magnus series. That range matters for a visitor: there is plenty to compare on site alongside the core lagers. The brewery is also part of the association of independent family breweries, Die Freien Brauer.
Where it is: Frölichstraße 26, in Augsburg's inner city
The brewery address is Frölichstraße 26, 86150 Augsburg. It sits in the inner city, within easy reach of the central area on foot or by public transport, and the brewery's website and phone number let you confirm details before you set out. Use the address rather than a vague landmark when you plan your route.
If you are planning several days in the city, the Augsburg Attractions page is a useful place to map the brewery visit against other stops. Frölichstraße is close enough to the center that a brewery tour fits naturally into a walking day.
The beers to know: the traditional lineup and the stronger specialties
Riegele's regular beers are wide-ranging and mainly sold in the region, which means the easiest place for a visitor to sample them is on site. The ten brewing specialties are the point of interest for anyone who wants to compare styles, while the Michaeli and Magnus lines give the brewery a seasonal and vintage dimension beyond a standard lager. Drink whichever you choose in moderation and keep the tasting portions small if you are also planning the wider tour.
The brewery also makes Spezi, the lemonade-and-cola mix, under its original recipe, so a mixed drink is available for anyone in your group who is not drinking beer. If you are comparing Augsburg's breweries, the Hasen-Bräu in Augsburg guide covers one of the other long-standing names in the city.
Brewery tours: the historic Art Nouveau brewhouse, malt floor, fermentation and storage cellar
The core of a brewery visit is the guided tour, which runs through the historic Sudhaus (brewhouse) in Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) style. The route takes in the malt floor, the fermentation area and the storage cellar, and the brewhouse portion lasts about an hour. The tour gives a clear picture of how this particular brewery works rather than a generic overview of brewing.
The tasting follows the tour, so allow time afterward to sit with the beers. Tours are arranged through the brewery, so the sensible step is to book with Riegele before your trip and confirm the day and time that suits you. Book ahead if your dates are fixed, because group capacity and language on the day vary.
The brewing course: brew your own beer, with tasting, meal and a magnum bottle
The brewing course is the fuller experience: you brew your own beer in the brewhouse, with a group of up to about 15 people, and the day typically opens in the morning with the tour. A tasting and aroma session follows, then a meal from the kitchen of the Hotel Riegele, and finally the brewing itself. The cost reported for the course, including the tour, tasting, ingredients, materials, a magnum bottle and food, was about 150 euros per person when that guide was written, so confirm the current rate when you book.
The beer you brew is stored by the brewery to mature, and each participant takes home a magnum bottle. Because the course starts in the morning and fills a day, it suits people with a full day to spare in Augsburg rather than a quick stop. The course also works well as a gift, and the brewery can advise on how to arrange that.
The Riegele Wirtshaus and beer garden: eating and drinking on site
The Riegele Wirtshaus is the easiest way to visit the brewery without booking a tour. It is a Wirtshaus, a traditional German pub-restaurant, in the historic setting, and it serves freshly tapped Riegele beer, which means you can taste the range in one sitting. The adjoining beer garden is the place to sit outside in the sun during the warmer months.
That makes the Wirtshaus a sensible lunch or early-evening stop in the inner city, and it keeps the brewery visit flexible: you can eat and try a beer without committing to a full tour. It is also the natural place to end a tour or course, since the tasting and meal already take place on site.
How to book a tour or course and what to expect on the day
Book directly with the brewery rather than through a third party, and ask which experience fits your group: a tour of about an hour plus tasting, or the full brewing course that takes most of a day. The Hotel Riegele next door means you can stay close to the start of a morning course without a long transfer.
On the day, expect the tour to be led by brewery staff and to spend time in cool production areas, so wear comfortable shoes and bring a layer. The brewing course is more hands-on and runs with a group of up to about 15, which keeps it personal. Confirm the current price and schedule when you book.
Nearby in Augsburg to pair with a brewery visit
Augsburg's city center is compact, so the brewery is easy to combine with the market. The Stadtmarkt Augsburg is the central market hall, and it is a good lunch stop before or after a brewery tour, with stalls for produce, meat, fish and prepared food.
If you want to continue the brewery trail, the Thorbräu Augsburg guide covers another old Augsburg name, and its Bräustüberl zum Thorbräu sits near the Wertachbrucker Tor. For coffee and cake after the market, Café Dichtl in Augsburg is a traditional stop in the city center. You can fit any of these around the brewery visit without committing a full day.
Is the brewery tour worth your day in Augsburg?
For most visitors, the hour-long tour plus tasting is the best-value way to see Riegele, because it covers the historic Art Nouveau brewhouse and the cellars without taking a whole day. The brewing course is the better choice only if you want the hands-on experience and have a full day to give it. If your time is tight, skip both and eat at the Wirtshaus for the same beer.
Confirm the tour day and price with the brewery before you go, since neither the tour schedule nor the course price is fixed year-round. That is the one call to make before you build the rest of your day around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Brauhaus Riegele?
The brewery is family-owned and has been run by the Riegele family since Sebastian Riegele Sr. acquired the Zum Goldenen Roß brewery in 1884. It is now styled Brauhaus S. Riegele Inh. Riegele KG and is part of Die Freien Brauer, an association of independent family breweries.
Can you visit the brewery without booking a tour?
Yes, through the Riegele Wirtshaus and its beer garden, where you can eat and try the beers without joining a tour. Book a tour or the brewing course separately if you want to see the brewhouse and cellars.
How long does the brewing course take?
It runs for most of a day, starting in the morning with a tour of the historic brewhouse and continuing with a tasting, a meal and the brewing itself. After the session, Riegele stores the beer to mature, and each participant receives a magnum bottle of the beer brewed that day.